Indonesia Steps into Outer Space

BANDUNG – The visionary steps taken by Indonesia. Through the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (Lapan), this country has started to conduct research extraterrestrial life.

This step was taken along with the operation of the Lapan telescope facility at the Timau National Observation Facility in NTT. The facility referred to is an optical telescope with a mirror diameter of 50 cm. The telescope, which later contained a sensitive camera, was able to observe celestial bodies and research the potential for extraterrestrial life.

Even to strengthen the ability to explore the possibility of life in outer space, Lapan is currently ordering a larger telescope, namely the 3.8 meter diameter mirror telescope. This twin telescope with the Japanese telescope will be the largest in Asia. The plan for this sophisticated equipment will arrive in late 2021. (Read: 4 People Who Are Deceived by Science)

The decision to participate in exploring the possibility of life in outer space is a breakthrough that should be appreciated. How not, so far this step has only been carried out by a handful of developed countries such as the United States, Russia, the European Union and China, which have recently shown their progress.

Researcher from the Center for Space Science Lapan Rhorom Priyatikanto revealed that with this completeness Lapan could focus on observing transient phenomena in the next 5 years. Transients are incidental phenomena in outer space. For example, an exploding star, a lunar eclipse, or a planet outside the solar system passing in front of its parent star.

“From these observations we can find out the characteristics of the planets. For example, what kind of orbit, is it similar to the earth, whether it supports life or not? If there is life, it can be directed, such as examining whether there is oxygen, traces of organic molecules, etc.,” he said.

Rhorom admitted that other countries have done this a lot. There is even a mission to find planets and observations of Venus’s atmosphere with indications of organic molecules. As for Indonesia, the Boscha Observatory has just observed planets outside the solar system, it has not touched any indication of life.

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